In the digital age that we live in where almost everything is done electronically, National Handwriting Day asks us to go back to our roots and put pen to paper. The holiday was introduced by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association in 1977 in an effort to encourage the use of pens and pencils.

January 23 is also the birth date of John Hancock, who is identified as the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence. His flamboyant autograph is so famous, that John Hancock has become synonymous with the word ‘signature’.

Celebrate National Handwriting Day by practicing your own John Hancock or writing out a letter to a friend or family member. Emails and text messages can’t compare with the personal touch of a handwritten note!